h! I remember this good fellow," the earl said. "He is not one easily
forgotten, for 'tis seldom one sees so stout a man-at-arms.

"As to your dress, 'tis nought; and indeed, it is in better order than
most in camp, for the soldiers have no tents, and have, for the last
forty-eight hours, been over their ankles in mud and water.

"Have you been with Mortimer ever since we harried Glendower's valley?"

"No, my lord. I returned after that to the north, and was at Alnwick
for nine months. Then Sir Henry sent me back again to Ludlow, in order
that I might keep him well informed of the extent of this rebellion,
concerning which but few tidings came to him."

They had, by this time, arrived at the entrance of the king's tent. The
two sentries on duty there stood back and saluted, as the earl entered,
followed by Oswald.

"This, sire, is a messenger, one Master Oswald Forster, an esquire of
Sir Henry Percy's. He had been sent by his lord to Ludlow, to keep him
acquainted with the extent of this rebellion. Some few days since, a
royal messenger reached the town, with a letter for you; as doubtless,
in London, they cannot have known which way you were marching, and
directed it there, so that it might be forwarded to you thence. Sir
Edmund, having your royal order not to send any force away, would have
been at a loss how to forward it; deeming that it would need a strong
body of men-at-arms to penetrate to you, as he knew, from what had
happened on the two last expeditions, that the Welsh, being unable to
oppose your advance, would swarm behind you, so as to prevent
reinforcements or convoys of provisions from reaching you. He was,
therefore, doubtful as to what course to adopt, when this gentleman
volunteered to carry it to you; and this he has accomplished, attended
by but a single follower. Knowing that he could only hope to reach you
on foot, he and his man-at-arms left their horses at Welshpool; and
have made their way through the woods on foot, not without adventure,
having lost their way in the storm, and having slept in the wood for
two days, and killed five Welshmen, scarcely escaping a crowd of others
as they came in."

"A very gallant deed, sir," the king said to Oswald, as the latter bent
upon one knee and handed the letter to him. "By Our Lady, it was no
slight thing to venture through the woods, swarming with these wild
Welshmen. How long have you been an esquire to Percy?"

"Over three years, sire."

"I me